Episode 113

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Published on:

2nd May 2024

Ep. 113 Navigating Fundraising with Chris Keller, Managing Partner at Catalyst Partners

Topics:

  • The Value of Anchor Fund-of-Funds 
  • Inside-Out Fundraising 
  • The Importance of Storytelling

...and so much more.

Top Takeaways

  • 90% of groups fail to raise a second fund after launching their first. To overcome the difficulty in the market.  Chris emphasizes the importance of evaluating your team's experience and reputation, along with understanding economic factors to determine the support needed for your first and second funds.


  • Focus on building a core network of trusted supporters early on. In exploring inside-out fundraising, the focus is on starting within your immediate circle rather than reaching too far outside initially. This approach prevents premature marketing efforts and advocates for patience and gradually building credibility before engaging with major organizations.


  • Having a vision for how you tell your story is critical.  Crafting a compelling story is crucial for successful pitching. Focus on why you do what you do rather than just the data. Think like a writer, creating chapters that entice the reader to turn the page. Pay attention to the small details that make for a great narrative.

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About the Podcast

Investors & Operators
A Podcast by 51 Labs
The M&A market can be boring, but everyone has a story. The Investors & Operators podcast is about discovering the stories people were holding back, didn’t know how to tell, or forgot about. The goal is simple: fresh, authentic storytelling to bring people together in the M&A community.

With over 1M organic views and counting on LinkedIn, 51 Labs is disrupting the M&A market through the use of videography and content creation. In a market that longs for authenticity, 51 Labs helps strengthen your brand and tell your story. From concept to distribution, we strategize and produce thoughtful content to be used across a multitude of channels, to help you stand out in an otherwise traditionally boring market.

New episodes every other Thursday at 6:00am Eastern.

About your host

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Jordan Selleck

Founder. Recovering Investment Banker. 3x Entrepreneur. Philz Coffee Enthusiast.

Jordan Selleck is a recovering investment banker turned 3x entrepreneur. While teaching English in China, Jordan met an investment banker in a bar and before he knew it he’d spent six years in cross-border investment banking advising global corporates and private equity firms on M&A deals up to $250 million.

As much as Jordan loved investment banking, he always knew he was meant to do something more. In 2016, Jordan founded Debtmaven, a deal management platform for debt financing in the lower middle market. It was while he was marketing Debtmaven on LinkedIn that Jordan found his true passion: building meaningful relationships in the lower middle market.

Seeing over 50% of Debtmaven’s $450million+ in deals come from LinkedIn, he realized he’d found an untapped market and began his journey with LinkedIn consulting. Dozens of clients and a handful of extraordinarily talented employees later, 51 Labs is a thriving marketing agency for the lower middle market that produces captivating content and generates organic traffic across LinkedIn.

Jordan was born in San Diego, grew up in North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill. He has traveled to 32 countries, lived in China for 18 months, trains Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is a fourth-generation private pilot, SCUBA dives, speaks Mandarin Chinese, and is a husband and father of 2.